The Mohawk Valley, New York

1998 Countryside Exchange

Introduction

The Mohawk Valley is a distinctive place, shaped by a fascinating history. Nestled between the great Adirondack Mountains to the north and the gentler Catskills to the south, this eight county region is the traditional home of the Iroquois Confederacy, a frontier battleground of colonial and revolutionary wars and a hotbed of industrial innovation. One of only three trans-Appalachian passageways, the Mohawk River has for centuries been an east-west transportation route connecting the Atlantic coastal rivers to the continental interior. Using the natural waterway of the Mohawk River, the 1825 Erie canal linked the Atlantic Ocean to points west, fostering industrial prosperity along the way. Today, the New York State Canal System is a vital corridor for recreation and commerce.

While the lush bottom lands and rolling foothills of the Mohawk Valley have long provided a sound economic base for residents, recent decades of de-industrialization have resulted in lost jobs and depressed retail and service sectors. The need to find strategies for revitalization brought business, civic and government leaders and residents together to reshape the region’s future.

Several major initiatives made hosting the Countryside Exchange very timely:

1. The formation of the Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission in 1997 by public sector leaders. Covering an eight county area along the Mohawk Valley, the Commission is charged with facilitating heritage-based community development and fostering regional collaboration.

2. A Special Resource Study of the National Park Service confirmed the national and international significance of the Erie Canal system and recommended that it be designated as a heritage system.

3. The New York State Canal Corporation is developing the 542 mile Erie Canal system into a vibrant, world class recreation corridor.

4. A Canal Corridor Initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Agriculture, has provided over $200 million for community development and job creation in canal communities.

The Role of the Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission (MVHCC)

The MVHCC served as the regional coordinator for the 1998 Mohawk Valley Countryside Exchange. The CommissionÕs purpose – to build upon the regionÕs heritage in order to foster community revitalization and improve quality of life – is a natural fit with the Exchange program.

In addition to fostering regional collaboration, the Commission offers a variety of programs to develop regional identity, strengthen communities and encourage heritage tourism. In 1998, the MVHCC developed an eight county regional management plan in partnership with the people who live and work in the Mohawk Valley.

The MVHCC worked with Glynwood Center on the Exchange program in a number of roles:

• Convening a Regional Steering Committee (RSC) comprised of local, regional, state and national agencies and organizations. The RSC was responsible for defining the goals and issues for the Exchange, selecting communities and providing technical and financial assistance for post-Exchange implementation efforts;
• Alerting communities to apply to participate;
• Working with interested communities to develop and fine-tune proposals;
• Working with the Steering Committee to select host communities;
• Assisting chosen communities with preparations for hosting the Exchange team; and
• Working with the communities and the Steering Committee after the Exchange to assist with implementation efforts.

The Exchanges: The Mohawk Valley Alliance andThe Town of Rensselaerville

The 1998 Countryside Exchange took place from October 22nd to the 31st, at two locations in the Mohawk Valley, New York. The Mohwak Valley Alliance is made up of five communities that straddle the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal just east of Utica – the Villages of Ilion, Frankfort, Mohawk and Middleville and the Town of German Flatts.

The second location was the Town of Rensselaerville, a “hilltown” community about 45 minutes southwest of Albany.

Both Exchange teams gathered at Glynwood Center on October 22nd where they met with members of the two Local Organizing Committees (LOCÕs) and were briefed on their communities and the respective issues.

After an intense week of work in the communities highlighted by site visits, interviews, public meetings, social gatherings, public presentations and report writing, the teams and some LOC members returned to Glynwood Center. Team members presented a summary of their observations and recommendations and community representatives offered their perspective on the weekÕs activities. After the debriefing and a farewell dinner, the teams departed for home. Local organizers returned to their communities and began the next challenge: closely studying and deciding which of the teamÕs recommendations would be acted upon.

The Mohawk Valley Alliance – Moving Forward Together

The Town of Rennsselaerville – People Make It Happen

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©2002 Glynwood Center